Had I been a James Horner fan twenty years ago, I would have waited with baited breath for every offering, but in the 2000's approach each score with caution. However, the thought of him scoring for Terence Malick, the notoriously aloof director - only his fourth major film in thirty years - made me optimistic that he'd turn something in of worth. After all, Malick managed to entice Hans Zimmer (and the inevitable additional composers) to produce an often inspiring score for The Thin Red Line and The New World seems ideal territory for Horner. Despite a title that suggests something along the lines of 1492 or Columbus: The Discovery, The New World is the Pocahontas story, which only has one other well known telling and that was by Disney, even if it was rather light on factual content.

Malick films are renowned for their beautiful photography, especially shots of the natural world and, again, lensing America as a fresh, undisturbed land seems an ideal opportunity. Indeed, that aspect of production has received much acclaim, even if the central romances have not. Love stories mixed with splendid scenery seems ideal Horner material and, by and large, he doesn't disappoint. The nominal opening cue opens with sampled birdsong, which is a simple, yet hugely effective idea. The only slight reservation is that it sounds like a busy rainforest of chirrups rather than a gentle scattering of woodland songbirds. From the light cacophony rises the gently glowing orchestra and chorus, together with the (somewhat obligatory) twinkling piano. There are hints of The Spitfire Grill here, but the strokes are much broader here than its more insular predecessor.

Two major themes dominate; that laid out in the opening track and an equally appealing melody for the romantic aspirations, notably in Rolfe Proposes. Darker moods pervade infrequently, but Winter - Battle and All is Lost are effective, the former featuring some harsh Braveheart style drones which cut through the otherwise soft orchestral textures. The album closes with Listen to the Wind, performed by New Zealand's answer to Charlotte Church (as if one were needed), Hayley Westenra, who performs with alternating delicacy and lung bursting gusto. However, it's one of Horner's most pleasing spin off songs in some time with a good tune (based on the main theme) and nicely arranged, certainly a vast improvement over the abomination that sullied his otherwise fine replacement effort for Troy.

The album apparently features everything Horner wrote, much of which was replaced in the film with the Overture to Wagner's Das Rheingold (which might seem an odd choice, but it's one his more sedate and low key operatic openings) and Mozart. It's difficult to argue that there's anything particularly impressive or novel about Horner's score, but it's surprisingly enchanting, the kind of album that washes over the listener with some decent tunes and very evocative textures. Even the typically gargantuan length doesn't feel quite so endless, even if not a great deal happens at times (that the moods start to shift more appreciably in the second half is certainly of benefit to the pacing). A score more pleasing because of its tone than technical accomplishment, but still worth checking out.

Rating ~

1. The New World (5:22)
2. First Landing (4:45)
3. A Flame Within (4:05)
4. An Apparition in the Fields... (3:42)
5. Journey Upriver (4:16)
6. Of the Forest (6:55)
7. Pocahontas and Smith (3:41)
8. Forbidden Corn (11:00)
9. Rolfe Proposes (4:31)
10. Winter - Battle (8:28)
11. All is Lost (8:14)
12. A Dark Cloud is Forever Lifted (9:55)
13. Listen to the Wind (4:37)
    Performed by Hayley Westenra

Total Time ~ 79:31